Motion powered pet tracker system and method

ABSTRACT

A pet tracking device, system and method using a kinetic motion energy generator to generate electrical energy that is used to power a pet tracking mechanism are provided. The pet tracking device may include a housing on a wearable item, such as a collar, attached to the pet or may be injected underneath the skin of the pet.

CROSS REFERENCE

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/211,165, filed on Dec. 5, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,785,957, issuedon Sep. 29, 2020, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 and is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/833,708,filed on Dec. 6, 2017, the entirety of each of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND

A very common problem for a pet owner is that the pet is lost or stolen.For example, the American Humane Association estimates over 10 milliondogs and cats are lost or stolen in the U.S. every year. In other words,one in three pets will become lost at some point during their life.

Pet and animal movement tracker devices are well known. These known petand animal movement tracker devices have various performance issues thatlimit the effectiveness of these devices. These performance issues haveincluded battery life, water proofing, durability, weight, size, failureto update personal and pet details, loss of tags and collars, lack ofGPS and/or need to implant. Further details of these known pet trackingdevice may be found at https://topdogtips.com/best-dog-gps-collar/ andpublic.homeagain.com/pdf/microchipping-whitepaper.pdf which areincorporated herein by reference. One type of known pet trackingmechanism is microchipping in which a microchip is injected under theskin of the pet. However, only 58 percent of the microchipped animals'microchips had been registered in a database with their owner's contactinformation so that the owner can be contacted. Many pet owners alsobelieve, erroneously that a microchip is a tracking system that locateslost pets when in fact it does not since it merely allows a lost pet tobe identified if the microchip embedded in the pet is scanned. However,all incoming pets are not scanned for a chip at veterinary hospitals oranother person may find and keep the pet so that a microchip does nothelp at all. The microchip is a passive and reactive process in which apet owner might get the pet returned if: 1) the pet is found and takento a shelter; 2) the shelter scans for microchips and has an employeetrained to scan for the microchips; 3) the shelter can read the signalfrequency that the microchip uses since different microchips usedifferent frequencies; 4) the chip has not failed or migrated so that itcannot be scanned; and 5) the pet owner has paid to register the chipand paid each time to update their information as it has changed overthe years.

Another known pet tracking device is a pet collar that has a GlobalPositioning Satellite (GPS) system receiver embedded into the collarthat allows a pet owner to actually track the movement of the pet. Thelimitation to these known GPS pet tracker collars is that due to highenergy consumption the GPS portion of the collar must be recharged afterdraining or batteries must be replaced often, even with big bulkybatteries used. This is a bother for the user and therefor often notdone, but even with full batteries the battery life is very short. As aresult, these known GPS pet tracker collars may be of little help if thepet is lost or stolen with a known GPS pet tracker collar having alimited or depleted energy store. Furthermore, these known GPS pettracker collars can fall off of the pet or be taken off that renders thecollars useless for tracking a location of the pet.

Thus, it is desirable to provide a motion powered pet tracker thatovercomes the above limitations and technical problems with existing pettracker devices and it is to this end that the disclosure is directed.

SUMMARY

The disclosure relates generally to the tracking of moveable objects andmore particularly to the animal care industry and in particular to asystem and method for tracking the movement of a pet.

A method for animal tracking is disclosed. The method may includegenerating, using a kinetic motion energy generator in an animaltracking device, electrical energy based on motion of an animal, storingthe generated electrical energy in an energy store, receiving, by theanimal tracking device, a request to track the animal, receiving, usinga location tracker mechanism in the animal tracking device that ispowered by the kinetic motion energy generator, location signals, anddetermining a location of the animal based on the location signals.

The method may also include generating the electrical energy furthercomprises converting a movement of the animal into electrical energy.The method may include activating an attention generating mechanism toindicate that the animal is lost.

In some embodiments, the attention generating mechanism is one of alight and a sound generator. Storing the generated electrical energy inan energy store may include storing the generated electrical energy in arechargeable battery. Storing the generated electrical energy in anenergy store may include storing the generated electrical energy in acapacitor.

The method may include attaching the animal tracker device to the animalor implanting the animal tracker device subcutaneously. Prior toreceiving the request to track the animal, the location of the animalmay be repeatedly determined at a first frequency and after receivingthe request to track the animal, determining the location of the animalbased on the location signals is at a second frequency, the secondfrequency being greater than the first frequency. The first frequencymay be less than 4 times per hour and the second frequency is greaterthan 4 times per hour or greater than 10 times per hour.

A system for animal tracking is disclosed. The system may include ananimal tracking device that is attached to the animal, a backend systemthe wirelessly communicates with the animal tracking device, and theanimal tracking device may include an animal tracking mechanism thattracks a current location of the animal, a kinetic motion energygenerator electrically connected to the animal tracking mechanism, thekinetic motion energy generator capable of generating electrical energyin response to a normal movement of the animal and the animal trackingmechanism having an energy store that powers the animal trackingmechanism wherein the energy store is powered by the electrical energygenerated by the kinetic motion energy generator.

The animal tracking device may include a housing that houses the animaltracking mechanism, the kinetic motion energy generator and the energystore. The housing may be water resistant. The animal tracking mechanismmay include a satellite based global positioning system.

The animal tracking device is attached to a harness of the animal orimplanted under the skin of the animal.

An animal tracking device is disclosed. The animal tracking device mayinclude an animal tracking mechanism that tracks a location of theanimal, a kinetic motion energy generator electrically connected to theanimal tracking mechanism, the kinetic motion energy generator may becapable of generating electrical energy in response to a normal movementof the animal, and the animal tracking mechanism may have an energystore that powers the animal tracking mechanism. The energy store may bepowered by the electrical energy generated by the kinetic motion energygenerator.

The animal tracking device may include a housing that houses the animaltracking mechanism, the kinetic motion energy generator and the energystore. The housing may be water resistant. The animal tracking mechanismmay include a satellite based global positioning system.

A tracking device is disclosed. The tracking device may include ahousing, an electronic tracking mechanism within the housing andconfigured determine a location of the device, an energy store withinthe housing and electrically coupled to the electronic trackingmechanism, an energy generator within the housing and electricallycoupled to the electronic tracking mechanism and the energy store, theenergy generator configured to supply power to the electronic trackingmechanism and the energy store, a communications module, and acontroller configured to receive a request to determine the location ofthe device via the communications module, instruct the electronictracking mechanism to receive wireless location data, determine thelocation of the device, and transmit the location of the device via thecommunications module.

The controller may be configured to wake the electronic trackingmechanism from a low power mode to a high power mode when the request isreceived. In the high power mode a frequency of the locationdetermination and a frequency of the transition of the location of thedevice provides that the net power usage, including power generated bythe electronic tracking mechanism and the power consumed by thecommunications module, controller, and electronic tracking mechanism isless than 10% of the energy store capacity in 10 minutes.

The energy generator may be a kinetic motion energy generatorelectrically connected to the electronic tracking mechanism. The kineticmotion energy generator may be configured to generate electrical energyin response to a normal movement of the device.

The controller may be configured to switch between a high energy usagemode and a low energy usage mode. A frequency and a duration ofoperation of the communication device or the location tracking mechanismmay be varied between the high energy usage mode and the low energyusage mode.

The frequency and the duration of the operation of the communicationdevice or the location tracking transceiver are varied based on sensordata. The sensor data may include one or more of energy generationlevel, battery voltage level, movement sensor, or based on location ortracking data. The duration of the operation of the communication deviceor the location tracking transceiver may be lower in the low energyusage mode than the high energy usage mode. The frequency of theoperation of the communication device or the location trackingtransceiver is lower in the low energy usage mode than the high energyusage mode.

The housing may be attached to an object for tracking the object.

A tracking system is disclosed. The tracking system may include abackend system configured to receive an request to track an object andto wirelessly transmit the request and a tracking device including ahousing, an electronic tracking mechanism within the housing andconfigured determine a location of the device, an energy store withinthe housing and electrically coupled to the electronic trackingmechanism, an energy generator within the housing and electricallycoupled to the electronic tracking mechanism and the energy store, theenergy generator configured to supply power to the electronic trackingmechanism and the energy store, a communications module, and acontroller configured to receive, from the backend system, the requestto determine the location of the device via the communications module,instruct the electronic tracking mechanism to receive wireless locationdata, determine the location of the device, and transmit the location ofthe device via the communications module.

The backend system may be configured to receive the request to track thedevice from a user device, receive the determined location of the devicefrom the tracking device, and transmit the determined location to theuser device. The tracking device, the backend system, and the userdevice may all be remote from each other.

The controller may be configured to wake the electronic trackingmechanism from a low power mode to a high power mode when the request isreceived, wherein, in high power mode a frequency of the locationdetermination and a frequency of the transition of the location of thedevice provides that the net power usage, including power generated bythe electronic tracking mechanism and the power consumed by thecommunications module, controller, and electronic tracking mechanism isless than 10% of the energy store capacity in 10 minutes to providetracking for locating a lost animal or object. The energy generator maybe a kinetic motion energy generator electrically connected to theelectronic tracking mechanism, the kinetic motion energy generatorconfigured to generate electrical energy in response to a normalmovement of the device.

The controller may be configured to switch between a high energy usagemode and a low energy usage mode. A frequency and a duration ofoperation of the communication device or the location tracking mechanismmay be varied to between the high energy usage mode and the low energyusage mode. The frequency and the duration of the operation of thecommunication device or the location tracking transceiver are variedbased on sensor data. The sensor data may include one or more of energygeneration level, battery voltage level, movement sensor, or based onlocation or tracking data. The duration of the operation of thecommunication device or the location tracking transceiver may be lowerin the low energy usage mode than the high energy usage mode. Thefrequency of the operation of the communication device or the locationtracking transceiver may be lower in the low energy usage mode than thehigh energy usage mode. The housing may be attached to an object fortracking the object.

A method for tracking an object is disclosed. The method may includegenerating, using an energy generator in a device, storing the generatedelectrical energy in an energy store, receiving, by the tracking device,a request to track the object, receiving, using a location trackermechanism in the tracking device that is powered by the energygenerator, location signals, and determining a location of the objectbased on the location signals.

Generating the electrical energy may include converting a movement ofthe object into electrical energy. The method may include activating anattention generating mechanism to indicate that the object is lost.

Storing the generated electrical energy in an energy store may includestoring the generated electrical energy in a rechargeable battery.Storing the generated electrical energy in an energy store may includestoring the generated electrical energy in a capacitor.

The method may include attaching the tracker device to the object.

Prior to receiving the request to track the object, the location of theanimal may be repeatedly determined at a first frequency and afterreceiving the request to track the animal, determining the location ofthe animal based on the location signals may be at a second frequency,the second frequency being greater than the first frequency. The firstfrequency may be less than 4 times per hour and the second frequency maybe greater than 10 times per hour. The energy generator may be one ormore of a kinetic motion energy generator, a solar powered generator, athermo electric generator, or a wireless energy harvester. The energygenerator may be an electro mechanical, piezo electric, or magnetoelectric kinetic motion energy generator.

A tracking device is disclosed. The tracking device may include atracking mechanism configured to track a location of an object, akinetic motion energy generator electrically connected to the trackingmechanism, the kinetic motion energy generator configured to generateelectrical energy in response to movement of the object, an energy storeelectrically coupled to the tracking mechanism and the kinetic motionenergy generator configured to power the tracking mechanism and toreceive the electrical energy generated by the kinetic motion energygenerator, and a communication device configured to transmit thelocation of the object.

The controller is configured to switch between a high energy usage modeand a low energy usage mode. In the low energy usage mode a frequencyand/or duration of the communication device and/or the location trackingmechanism are further configured to provide that the net energy usage ofthe tracking device may be lower than or equal to the energy generatedby the kinetic motion generator over a period of time. In the highenergy usage mode a frequency and/or a duration of the communicationdevice and/or the location tracking mechanism are further configured toprovide a more frequent and/or longer duration of communication and/orlocation determination than in the lower energy usage mode.

A frequency and/or a duration of operation of the communication deviceand/or the location tracking mechanism may be varied between the highenergy usage mode and the low energy usage mode. A frequency and/or aduration of the operation of the communication device and/or thelocation tracking transceiver are varied based on sensor data. Sensordata may include one or more of energy generation level, output signalsof kinetic motion energy generator, battery voltage level, movementsensor, or based on location or tracking data.

The frequency and/or a duration of the communication device and/or thelocation tracking mechanism are further configured to increase and/ordecrease in frequency and/or duration when more or less movement isdetected. The movement may be detected based on battery level and/oroutput signals from the Kinetic energy harvester and/or location datafrom the location tracking mechanism.

The duration and/or frequency of the operation of the communicationdevice and/or the location tracking transceiver may be lower in the lowenergy usage mode than in the high energy usage mode. The frequencyand/or duration of the operation of the communication device and/or thelocation tracking transceiver may be lower in the low energy usage modethan the high energy usage mode. A frequency and/or a duration ofoperation of the communication device and/or the location trackingmechanism may be set based on an output signal and/or energy generationof the kinetic motion energy generator and/or the energy level in theenergy storage and/or the movement based data of the tracking mechanismand/or other sensor data and/or a signal received by the device.

The frequency and/or a duration of the communication device and/or thelocation tracking mechanism are further configured to increase and/ordecrease in frequency and/or duration when more or less movement isdetected, the movement being determined based on battery level changeand/or output signals from the Kinetic energy harvester and/or locationdata from the location tracking mechanism.

The frequency and/or the duration of the communication device and/or thelocation tracking mechanism may be configured to increase and/ordecrease when a signal is received by the tracking device.

The methods, systems or apparatus may include the controller beingconfigured to switch between a high energy usage mode and a low energyusage mode. In the low energy usage mode a frequency and/or duration ofthe communication device and/or the location tracking mechanism may befurther configured to provide that the net energy usage of the trackingdevice is lower than or equal to the energy generated by the kineticmotion generator over a period of time. The high energy usage mode afrequency and/or a duration of the communication device and/or thelocation tracking mechanism are further configured to provide a morefrequent and/or longer duration of communication and/or locationdetermination than in the lower energy usage mode.

The methods, systems or apparatus may include a frequency and/or aduration of operation of the communication device and/or the locationtracking mechanism may be varied between the high energy usage mode andthe low energy usage mode. A frequency and/or a duration of theoperation of the communication device and/or the location trackingtransceiver may be varied based on sensor data. The sensor data mayinclude one or more of energy generation level, output signals ofkinetic motion energy generator, battery voltage level, movement sensor,or based on location or tracking data. The frequency and/or a durationof the communication device and/or the location tracking mechanism arefurther configured to increase and/or decrease in frequency and/orduration when more or less movement is detected. The movement may bedetected based on battery level and/or output signals from the Kineticenergy harvester and/or location data from the location trackingmechanism.

The methods, systems or apparatus may include the duration and/orfrequency of the operation of the communication device and/or thelocation tracking transceiver being lower in the low energy usage modethan in the high energy usage mode. The frequency of the operation ofthe communication device or the location tracking transceiver may belower in the low energy usage mode than the high energy usage mode. Afrequency and/or a duration of operation of the communication deviceand/or the location tracking mechanism may be set based on an outputsignal and/or energy generation of the kinetic motion energy generatorand/or the energy level in the energy storage and/or the movement baseddata of the tracking mechanism and/or other sensor data and/or a signalreceived by the device. The frequency and/or the duration of thecommunication device and/or the location tracking mechanism may beconfigured to increase and/or decrease in frequency and/or duration whenmore or less movement is detected, the movement being determined basedon battery level change and/or output signals from the Kinetic energyharvester and/or location data from the location tracking mechanism. Thefrequency and/or a duration of the communication device and/or thelocation tracking mechanism are further configured to increase and/ordecrease when a signal is received by the tracking device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an animal with a motion powered tracking device;

FIG. 2 illustrates a system diagram of the motion powered trackingdevice of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 illustrates details of the motion powered tracking device of FIG.1 ;

FIG. 4 illustrates the motion powered tracking device of FIG. 1 in ahousing;

FIG. 5 illustrates energy profiles of tracking devices, including themotion powered tracking device of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 6 illustrates a tracking system that utilizes the motion poweredtracking device;

FIG. 7 illustrates a method for determining an animal location andmovement; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a method for generating energy for the motion poweredtracking device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure is particularly applicable to a tracking device, systemand method that is architected as described below and it is in thiscontext that the disclosure will be described. It will be appreciated,however, that the device, system and method has greater utility, such asto motion powered animal tracker device, system and method architectedin other manners and using other mechanisms that are within the scope ofthe disclosure. The motion powered tracking device may be used to trackmoving objects, such as vehicles, animals and in particular, landmammals, such as humans, dogs, cats, etc.

FIG. 1 depicts an animal 10 with a motion powered tracking device 14. Inthe example embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the motion powered trackingdevice 14 may be attached to or integrated into something that iswearable by the animal 10, such as a collar 12. In an alternativeembodiment, the motion powered tracking device 14 may be implantable orplaced under the skin of the animal 10. Thus, the motion poweredtracking device 14 may be wearable by the animal or subcutaneous orotherwise implanted within or under the skin of an animal. Both wearableand implanted, the motion powered tracker device 14 includes a mechanismto determine the location and track movement of the animal and amechanism that generates electrical energy based on the regular movementof the animal, such as the normal activity of the pet or other animal.The motion powered tracker device 14 provides a technical solution tothe above problem by combining a piece of technology of a trackingdevice, a piece of technology of a motion based energy generator andelectronics configured to balance the tracking and energy generationfunctionality of those technologies so that the disclosed motion poweredtracker device maintains sufficient electrical energy generation andstorage such that it does not run out of battery power or fails todetermine the location of the animal at a critical time. It isunderstood that embodiments of the motion powered tracker device 14 mayhave different sizes and shapes.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate additional details of the motion poweredtracking device 14. The device 14 may have a housing 20 that houses alocation tracking mechanism, such as a location tracking transceiver 22.The location tracking transceiver 22 may be a satellite basedpositioning system based integrated circuit or a plurality of circuitsthat make up the tracking transceiver 22. The tracking transceiver maybe a wireless position transceiver or receiver. For example, a Bluetoothor Internet-of-Things based geolocation transceiver, or the satellitebased positioning system may be the known GPS system, the Russian basedGLONASS system, the European Union based Galileo positioning system, theChinese BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, India's Indian RegionalNavigation Satellite System, and Japan'shttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-Zenith Satellite System. As is wellknown, the location tracking transceiver 22 may receive signals from aplurality of satellites and then determine, using correlation and otherknown processes based on the satellite signals, the location of theanimal to which the motion powered tracker device is attached.

The device 14 may also include a communication device 23 that is coupledto the location tracking transceiver 22. The communication device 23 mayprocess the location data generated by the location tracking transceiver22 and may wirelessly communicate that location data to a trackingsystem as shown in FIG. 6 and described below. The communication device23 may be electrically coupled to the location tracking transceiver 22.The communication device may be in coupled in electronic communicationwith the location tracking transceiver 22 such that the communicationdevice 22 receives location information from the location tracingtransceiver 22. In some embodiments, the components, such as thelocation tracking transceiver 22, the communication device 23, theenergy store 24, and the kinetic motion energy generator 26, and thecontroller 27 can be separate components or integrated into one or moreseparate components.

In some embodiments, the location tracking transceiver may be directlycoupled to the communication device while in other embodiments thelocation tracking transceiver may be indirectly coupled to thecommunication devices, such as via a processor which receives thelocation information and process and prepares the information fortransition by the communication device.

The device 14 may also include an energy store 24 that may be coupled toboth the location tracking transceiver 22 and the communication device23 to provide energy to the location tracking transceiver 22 and thecommunication device 23. For example, the energy store 24 may be arechargeable battery, or a combination of storage devices, such as arechargeable battery or capacitor and a disposable battery, or otherrechargeable or non rechargeable energy store. Alternatively, the energystore may be an energy storage device, such as a capacitor and the like.The device 14 may further comprise an energy generator 26 that iselectrically connected to the energy store 26. In some embodiments, theenergy generator 26 is a kinetic motion energy generator. The kineticmotion energy generator may be electromechanical, piezo electric, ormagneto electric, as described herein. In some embodiments, the energygenerator 26 may be expanded with solar powered generator that convertssolar energy to electrical energy or a wireless energy harvester thatconverts electromagnetic energy transmitted through, for example, radiowaves, to electrical energy. In some embodiments, the energy generator26 may be an thermo electric generator. The energy generator 26 isdirectly electrically connected to the location tracking transceiver 22and the communication device 23 directly, such as when the kineticmotion energy generator 26 is used without an energy store 24. In someembodiments, the controller 27, location tracking transceiver 22 and thecommunication device 23 are directly electrically coupled to the kineticmotion energy generator 26 and the energy store.

The kinetic motion energy generator 26, converts movement of the pet orother animal into electrical energy and provides the electrical energythat may be used to power the elements of the device 14. In someembodiments, the device 14 may have a combined energy store and energygenerator that stores energy, provides energy to the elements of thesystem, and generates energy based on the motion of the animal. Forexample, the kinetic motion energy generator 26 may be a micro generatormechanism made by Kinetron (details of which may be found atwww.kinetron.eu/micro-generator-technology/that is incorporated hereinby reference.)

The kinetic motion energy generator uses moveable eccentric weight 320which moves when the position of the system changes in relation to thedirection of gravity or as induced by the forces imparted to the devicethrough the movement of the pet or animal to which it is attached. Themoveable eccentric weight is attached via a shaft 322 to a set ofaccelerating gears and micro mechanical parts with in turn are coupledto a magnetic rotor of an electro magnetic generator which are all partof the gearbox and rotor assembly 324. A mechanical spring system mayalso be included as part of the gearbox and rotor assembly 324. Themechanical spring accelerates the rotor of the electromagneticgenerator. The mechanical spring stores the energy of the eccentricweight when the device is moved until the torque in the spring hasreached a threshold level. When the spring energy reaches the thresholdlevel, the spring energy is released, which causes acceleration of themagnetic rotor and electrical energy generation within the windings ofthe generator.

The electrical energy generated within the windings of the generator isalternating and the direction and frequency of the energy may be basedon the direction and speed of movement of the rotor. The windings areelectrically coupled to electric contacts 302 on the substrate 306 ofthe electrical component assembly 29. The power travels from thecontacts 302 to the various components of the electrical componentassembly 29.

In some embodiments, the device 14 may include a manual driven crank,disk or knob operated generator. The crank, disk or knob drivengenerator may be in place of or in addition to the kinetic motion energygenerator 16 and may be coupled either directly or indirectly to thecontroller 27, the communication device 23, and the location trackingtransceiver 22. A hand crank, disk, knob operated generator, sometimesreferred to as a wind-up generator or charger includes a crank, disk orknob, which may be a lever or other mechanical structure that is graspedby an operator's hand. The lever or other mechanical structure isconnected to a shaft that is then coupled either directly or through agear box to the armature of a generator. When the handle or lever isrotated about the shaft, kinetic energy from is transferred to the shaftwhich may then be transferred to the gear box and then to the armaturewhere rotation of the armature within a magnetic field created by thestator of the generator, generates electrical energy to power the deviceand/or charge the energy store within the device.

The device 14 may also include an induction charging system, sometimesreferred to as a wireless charging system. In an induction chargingsystem, an induction coil in the device 14 is placed within analternating electromagnetic field of a charging based. The alternatingelectrical magnetic field of the charging base induces an electricalcurrent within the coil, which is then used to power the device and/orcharge the energy store within the device.

The device 14 may further include one or more mechanisms, such aslights, a sound generator, an Amber alert type signal, etc., that may beactivated by a signal from the system or device when the animal isconsidered to be lost so that people who see the animal will have theirattention drawn to the animal. The exterior of the device may alsoinclude a phosphorescent material or phosphorescent coating thatilluminates the device in the dark, a so-called glow-in-the-darkfeature. The device 14 and its housing 20 may be sealed and waterproof,water resistant, or waterproof, when it is wearable. The device 14 orits enclosure may be made from a bio-compatible material when the device14 is subcutaneous. The device 14 or the backend in FIG. 6 may also sendnotifications when an animal is outside of a designated area.

The device 14 may further include a controller 27. The controller 27 maybe an integrated circuit or processor that is configured to control thedistribution of power from the generator 26 to the various components ofthe electrical component assembly 29. The controller 27 also controlsthe operation of the components of the electrical component assembly 29.In some embodiments, the tracking module, the location trackingtransceiver, the communication device, and the controller may beintegrated into a single module. The single module may implement thefunctions and circuitry for determining the device's location,communicating the location, and managing the energy generation andconsumption of the device 14. In particular, the controller 27 maycontrol the components to efficiently manage the overall powerconsumption of the device 14. To minimize energy consumption thecontroller may be programmed to connect or disconnect, or activate orde-activate, certain components, such as the communication device andlocation tracking transceiver. As discussed elsewhere herein, constantoperation of the location tracking transceiver or the communicationdevice leads to rapid depletion of the energy stored within the energystore 24. In order to manage the electrical power consumption of thedevice 14 while providing a positive user experience, the controller 27balances tracking availability with energy consumption, as describedherein.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the device 14 includes a power module 304. Thepower module 304 may include the power store 24 along with other powercomponents, such as a rectifying circuit, such as an AC to DC convertercircuit that converts the alternating energy from the generator 26 intoDC energy for delivering energy to the energy store to, for example,charge a rechargeable battery or capacitor within the energy store.

The device 14 may also include a sensor module 310. The sensor modulemay include the various sensors for tracking the position of the deviceand other environmental and system data. For example, the sensor module310 may include or be coupled to a thermometer for recordingtemperature, a volt meters and amp meters for measuring the state ofcharge of the battery, power consumption of the device of any one of itsmodules or components, and power generation by the generator 26. Thesensor module 310 may also include or be coupled to accelerometers orgyroscopes to measure movement of the device 14.

As discussed above, the controller is powered by the energy from thebattery and the electronic circuit and/or is programmed to manage theenergy and functions of the device and the component and modules of theelectrical component assembly 29.

The device 14 and each of the electrical components and modules mayoperate in both a low energy mode, that consumes relatively low energy,and a high energy mode that consumes relative high energy, or moreenergy than in the low energy mode. The high energy mode is associatedwith active use of the device, module, or component. For example, inhigh energy mode the GPS is actively receiving signals from orbitingsatellites and/or computing the device's location based on those signalsand sending the signals or computed location to the communication device23 for transmission. In high energy mode the controller 27 may activatethe GPS module continuously, to determine, store and/or communicate thelocation of the tracker. In some embodiments, in high energy mode thecontroller 27 may activate the GPS module for continuous operation andcompute and report position data for example every 5 seconds, 10seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute.

In low energy mode the GPS or location tracking transceiver may be in asleep mode, wherein it is not actively processing satellite signals orcommunicating with the communication device. In some embodiments in lowenergy mode the controller 27 may activate the GPS module periodicallyand with a certain duration, to determine, store and/or communicate thelocation of the tracker. For example, a period of 5 or 10 minutes for aduration of 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute.

In low energy mode the controller activates the telecommunication moduleinfrequently for a short duration to send and/or receive messages aboutthe status and/or location of the tracker. For example, thetelecommunication module may be activated, connect to the network, suchas a cellular network, and then connect to backend system (describedbelow) to send or receive updates, before going back to sleep orstandby.

In high energy mode the controller activates the telecommunicationmodule more often and/or for longer periods, to send and/or receivemessages about the status and/or location of the tracker. Also theelectronic circuit and/or the IC activates the GPS module morefrequently to determine, store and/or communicate the location of thetracker in a faster and/or more accurate way.

In some embodiment, the device may operate in a lower power mode priorto receiving a request to track the object. Before the request isreceived, the location of the animal or object may be repeatedlydetermined at a first frequency, for example, less than four times perhour. After receiving the request to track the animal or object, thedevice may switch to a high power usage mode wherein the location of theanimal is determined based on the location signals at a secondfrequency, the second frequency being greater than the first frequency.For example the second frequency may be greater than 4 times per hour orless than 10 times per hour, such as during especially low energygeneration periods.

In the low energy usage mode a frequency and/or duration of thecommunication device and/or the location tracking mechanism are furtherconfigured to provide that the net energy usage of the tracking devicemay be lower than or equal to the energy generated by the energygenerator over a period of time. For example, the device may measure thevoltage change of the energy store over a period of time or measure theenergy generated by the energy generate and the energy used by thecomponents of the device, such as the communication module, the locationtransceiver, and the controller to determine whether the device isconsuming more energy of a period of time, such as 5 minutes. If thedevice is consuming more energy than it is generating, the controllermay reduce the frequency or duration, or both, of operation of thecommunication module or the location module (or the sensor module) orboth.

In the high energy usage mode a frequency and/or a duration of thecommunication device and/or the location tracking mechanism are furtherconfigured to provide a more frequent and/or longer duration ofcommunication and/or location determination than in the lower energyusage mode. In the high energy usage mode, the net energy usage orvoltage change of the energy store over a period of time my be measured,for example, as described herein, so that the net energy usage depletesthe energy stored in the energy store at a rate of greater than 10% perhour.

A frequency and/or a duration of the operation of the communicationdevice and/or the location tracking transceiver may be varied based onsensor data. The sensor data may include one or more of energygeneration level, output signals of kinetic motion energy generator,battery voltage level, movement sensor, or based on location or trackingdata. When the sensor data indicates excess energy generation, forexample, when net energy generation is positive or the battery sensorindicates an increase in stored energy over a period of time, thefrequency and/or a duration of the operation may be increased.

The frequency and/or a duration of the communication device and/or thelocation tracking mechanism are further configured to increase and/ordecrease in frequency and/or duration when more or less movement isdetected. The movement may be detected based on an increase in batterlevel or a reduction in the rate at which the battery energy is beingconsumed, for example by measuring these properties and regularintervals and comparing a current measurement with a previousmeasurement. Movement may also be determined based on output signalsfrom the Kinetic energy harvester and/or location data from the locationtracking mechanism. For example, when a measurement of location at sometime is greater than a predetermined threshold distance from theprevious measurement or the calculated velocity based on measurementdata is greater than a threshold.

The frequency and/or the duration of operation of the communicationdevice and/or the location tracking mechanism may be set based on anoutput signal and/or energy generation of the kinetic motion energygenerator and/or the energy level in the energy storage and/or themovement based data of the tracking mechanism and/or other sensor dataand/or a signal received by the device, based on measurements asdescribed herein.

The frequency and/or a duration of the communication device and/or thelocation tracking mechanism are further configured to increase and/ordecrease in frequency and/or duration when more or less movement isdetected, the movement being determined based on battery level changeand/or output signals from the Kinetic energy harvester and/or locationdata from the location tracking mechanism. For example, when measuredvalues are above a threshold that indicates greater power generation,the frequency or duration may be increased and if less than a threshold,then the frequency or duration may be decreased.

The controller 27 is programmed to optimize functionality and minimizeenergy consumption, both in low and high energy mode. One way this isachieved is by operating at different settings for the frequency andduration of use for the telecommunication and/or GPS module to achieve alow and high energy mode. These settings may be based on the amount ofenergy generated by the tracking device, the amount of energy remainingin the battery, the movement speed of the tracking device, and thelocation requests received or location tracking mode of the device.

The low or high energy mode can be remotely switched on by sending asignal to the electronic circuit of the tracker, i.e. switch to highenergy mode when a quick and accurate location of the tracker is needed(emergencies).

The controller can also switch between high and low energy mode based onpreprogrammed times, events, algorithms, information from the sensormodule, such as movement based information (energy generation, voltagelevels, frequencies, etc.) from the energy harvester, information from amovement sensor, information from a temperature sensor, information fromthe battery level, position information from the GPS module or externalinformation received by the telecommunication module.

The controller also updates or switches between different frequencyand/or duration settings for the communication and/or GPS module and/orany other electronic component on the electronic circuit, based onpreprogrammed times, events, algorithms, information from the sensormodule, such as movement based information from the energy harvester,information from a movement sensor, information from a temperaturesensor, information from the battery level, position information fromthe GPS module or external information received by the telecommunicationmodule.

FIG. 4 depicts the device 14 including the energy generator 26 andelectrical component assembly 29 in a stacked configuration within ahousing 400. The housing 400 may be a multi-part housing, such as atwo-part housing as shown in FIG. 4 . The housing 400 includes a base404 and a cover 402. The stacked energy generator 26 and electricalcomponent assembly 29 are retained within a cavity in the device 14formed within and between the base 404 and cover 402. The base may alsoinclude a coupling 406 that couples or otherwise attached the device 14to the animal. For example, the coupling 406 may engage with a harness,such as a collar, either directly or indirectly, so as to attach thedevice 14 to an animal or other object being tracked.

FIG. 5 shows the difference in energy usage between the embodiments ofthe device 14 disclosed herein and other devices, such as a high energyconsumption rechargeable device. Battery change and discharge line 502shows the high discharge rate 504 of such devices and the externalrecharge or replace cycle 506 employed by such devices. During use, suchdevices regularly run out of power, however the device 14 and the energyusage control implemented by the controller 27 can greatly extend thedischarge time, as shown in discharge line 510, which depicts the energyusage in low energy mode 512 and high energy mode 514. With the additionof an energy generator, such as the kinetic energy generator and controldiscussed herein, the device may generate, store, and use energy suchthat the device may be powered indefinitely. For example, in the lowenergy usage mode combined with kinetic energy harvesting provided bythe kinetic energy generator, the device may maintain substantially fullcharge, as depicted by the low energy line 522. In some embodiments,particularly during high kinetic energy generation, the device maymaintain substantially full charge even during high energy mode, asdepicted by high energy discharge line 526.

FIG. 6 illustrates a tracking system 30 that utilizes the motion poweredtracking device 14. The system may include one or more animals 10 with amotion powered tracker device 14, each of which wirelessly communicatesover a communication path 32 to a tracker backend system 34. Thecommunication path 32 may be one or more of a wired or wirelesscommunication path, such as a WiFi network, a cellular network, adigital data network and the like. In operation, the tracker device 14may receive signals as described above and generate location data fromthe particular animal (or the location data may be generated by thetracking backend 34 when the device 14 communicates the satellite datato the backend) and communicate that location data of the animal overthe communication path 32 to the backend 34. Alternatively, the trackingdevice may have mark, such as a bar code or an electronic signature thatmay be scanned by a user to identify the animal or download the animallocation information to the backend 34.

The backend 34 may be implemented using one or more computing resources,such as one or more server computers, one or more cloud computingresources, computing resources from Amazon web services/systems (AWS)and the like. In some embodiments, the tracker device 14 may communicatedirectly with an animal owner computer 38 to allow the animal owner totrack the animal 10. The animal owner computer 38 may be a processingunit device with a processor, memory, a display and connectivitycircuits that can connect to and interact with the backend 34. Forexample, the animal owner computer 38 may be a personal computer, atablet computer, a laptop computer, a smartphone device, such as anApple iPhone or Android operating system based device, a cellular phoneor a terminal.

The backend system 34 may provide various tracking services based on thelocation data for each animal. For example, the backend system 34 maygenerate and provide a user interface to an animal owner computer 38connected to the backend 34 over the communication path 32. For example,the backend 34 may provide animal location data to the animal owner. Thebackend system 34 may further provide other services to the animalowner. For example, the backend system 34 may have a mobile application(that may be downloaded by each animal owner) that may be used by animalowner to direct or lead the animal owner to their animal based on thelocation signals.

FIG. 7 illustrates a method 40 for determining an animallocation/movement. In the method, a signal may be received from thetracker mechanism 42 and the animal location is determined 44. In someembodiments, the device 14 shown in FIGS. 2-3 may receive signals from aplurality of location satellites and may generate a location of theanimal using the well-known techniques described above. In otherembodiment, the device 14 may receive signals from a plurality oflocation satellites, communicate those signals from the plurality oflocation satellites to the backend system and the backend system maycorrelate the signals of the plurality of location satellites togenerate the animal location. The method may then send the location tothe owner 46. In an alternative method, the tracker device 14 may sendits location data directly to the owner.

In some embodiments, the device may include a switch, such as a buttonthat can be pushed, flipped or otherwise toggled to activate the device.In such embodiments, toggling the switch or button activates the deviceand aids in locating the animal and alerting the animal owner of theanimal's location. For example, when someone comes upon an animal withthe device 14, they may push the push-to-activate button. If the deviceis in a low energy mode, such as a sleep mode, the device wakes from thelow power sleep mode into an active mode. The location trackingtransceiver then begins receiving location signals, for example, fromorbiting satellites. After the device receives a sufficient amount oflocation signals to determine the location of the animal, thecommunication device is activated. The communication device may theneither transmit the location signals or the location of the device 14 tothe backend system 34 along with a message that indicates that theanimal's push-to-activate button was activated. The backend system maythen send a message to the animal owner's device, such as their cellphone to alert the animal owner that their animal was found.

In some embodiments, the device may include a tamper sensor as part ofor separate from the sensor module that activates the tracking devicewhen the tracker is removed or attempted to be removed from the objector animal to which it is attached.

In some embodiments, an animal owner may notice their animal is missing.They may then activate the device 14 in order to receive locationinformation and retrieve their animal. In such an embodiment, the animalowner may send a message to the device 14 through the backend system.The device, which may be in a low power mode, having only itscommunication device active or intermittently active, then receives thesignal. After the signal is received, lights or other sound emittingdevices on the device 14 may be activated to alert people nearby of thepresence of a lost animal, as described above. The location trackingtransceiver is then activated and begins receiving location signals, forexample, from orbiting satellites or based on nearby cellphone towerdata. After the device receives a sufficient amount of location signalsto determine the location of the animal, the location information may besend to the communication device. The communication device may theneither transmit the location signals or the location of the device 14 tothe backend system 34. The backend system may then send a message thoughthe backend system to the animal owner's device, such as their cellphone to alert the animal owner of the animal's location. The locationinformation may be periodically updated at a preset time interval, untilthe animal is found.

In some embodiments, the device 14 may continuously track the animal'slocation. For example, the device may sleep in a low power mode and thenwake at preset intervals, such as every 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15minutes, etc. During the wake period the device wakes from the low powersleep mode into an active mode. The location tracking transceiver thenbegins receiving location signals, for example, from orbiting satellitesor nearby cell towers. After the device receives a sufficient amount oflocation signals to determine the location of the animal, thecommunication device is activated. The communication device may theneither transmit the location signals or the location of the device 14 tothe backend system 34. The backend system may then send a message to theanimal owner's device or store the location information for laterretrieval by the animal owner.

FIG. 8 illustrates a method 50 for generating energy for the motionpowered tracking device. The kinetic motion energy generator (such asthe kinetic motion energy generator 26 in FIG. 6 ) may generateelectrical or kinetic energy during normal movement of the animal 52. Insome embodiments, the energy may be generated continuously to power theelements of the tracker device 14 and/or for storage in the energystorage device. In some embodiments, the kinetic motion energy generatormay periodically generate the energy as the animal moves to provideenergy to a depleted energy store. In all of the embodiments, the energygenerated by the kinetic motion energy generator may be used to powerthe tracker mechanism 54. In some embodiments, the energy may beprovided to the energy store for storage and later use by the device 14.

The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has beendescribed with reference to specific embodiments. However, theillustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed. Many modificationsand variations are possible in view of the above teachings. Theembodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the disclosure and its practical applications, to therebyenable others skilled in the art to best utilize the disclosure andvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

The system and method disclosed herein may be implemented via one ormore components, systems, servers, appliances, other subcomponents, ordistributed between such elements. When implemented as a system, suchsystems may include and/or involve, inter alia, components such assoftware modules, general-purpose CPU, RAM, etc. found ingeneral-purpose computers. In implementations where the innovationsreside on a server, such a server may include or involve components suchas CPU, RAM, etc., such as those found in general-purpose computers.

Additionally, the system and method herein may be achieved viaimplementations with disparate or entirely different software, hardwareand/or firmware components, beyond that set forth above. With regard tosuch other components (e.g., software, processing components, etc.)and/or computer-readable media associated with or embodying the presentinventions, for example, aspects of the innovations herein may beimplemented consistent with numerous general purpose or special purposecomputing systems or configurations. Various exemplary computingsystems, environments, and/or configurations that may be suitable foruse with the innovations herein may include, but are not limited to:software or other components within or embodied on personal computers,servers or server computing devices such as routing/connectivitycomponents, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessor systems,microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, consumer electronicdevices, network PCs, other existing computer platforms, distributedcomputing environments that include one or more of the above systems ordevices, etc.

In some instances, aspects of the system and method may be achieved viaor performed by logic and/or logic instructions including programmodules, executed in association with such components or circuitry, forexample. In general, program modules may include routines, programs,objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasksor implement particular instructions herein. The inventions may also bepracticed in the context of distributed software, computer, or circuitsettings where circuitry is connected via communication buses, circuitryor links. In distributed settings, control/instructions may occur fromboth local and remote computer storage media including memory storagedevices.

The software, circuitry and components herein may also include and/orutilize one or more type of computer readable media. Computer readablemedia can be any available media that is resident on, associable with,or can be accessed by such circuits and/or computing components. By wayof example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprisecomputer storage media and communication media. Computer storage mediaincludes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable mediaimplemented in any method or technology for storage of information suchas computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules orother data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM,ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digitalversatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape, magneticdisk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other mediumwhich can be used to store the desired information and can accessed bycomputing component. Communication media may comprise computer readableinstructions, data structures, program modules and/or other components.Further, communication media may include wired media such as a wirednetwork or direct-wired connection; however no media of any such typeherein includes transitory media. Combinations of the any of the aboveare also included within the scope of computer readable media.

In the present description, the terms component, module, device, etc.may refer to any type of logical or functional software elements,circuits, blocks and/or processes that may be implemented in a varietyof ways. For example, the functions of various circuits and/or blockscan be combined with one another into any other number of modules. Eachmodule may even be implemented as a software program stored on atangible memory (e.g., random access memory, read only memory, CD-ROMmemory, hard disk drive, etc.) to be read by a central processing unitto implement the functions of the innovations herein. Or, the modulescan comprise programming instructions transmitted to a general purposecomputer or to processing/graphics hardware via a transmission carrierwave. Also, the modules can be implemented as hardware logic circuitryimplementing the functions encompassed by the innovations herein.Finally, the modules can be implemented using special purposeinstructions (SIMD instructions), field programmable logic arrays or anymix thereof which provides the desired level performance and cost.

As disclosed herein, features consistent with the disclosure may beimplemented via computer-hardware, software and/or firmware. Forexample, the systems and methods disclosed herein may be embodied invarious forms including, for example, a data processor, such as acomputer that also includes a database, digital electronic circuitry,firmware, software, or in combinations of them. Further, while some ofthe disclosed implementations describe specific hardware components,systems and methods consistent with the innovations herein may beimplemented with any combination of hardware, software and/or firmware.Moreover, the above-noted features and other aspects and principles ofthe innovations herein may be implemented in various environments. Suchenvironments and related applications may be specially constructed forperforming the various routines, processes and/or operations accordingto the invention or they may include a general-purpose computer orcomputing platform selectively activated or reconfigured by code toprovide the necessary functionality. The processes disclosed herein arenot inherently related to any particular computer, network,architecture, environment, or other apparatus, and may be implemented bya suitable combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Forexample, various general-purpose machines may be used with programswritten in accordance with teachings of the invention, or it may be moreconvenient to construct a specialized apparatus or system to perform therequired methods and techniques.

Aspects of the method and system described herein, such as the logic,may also be implemented as functionality programmed into any of avariety of circuitry, including programmable logic devices (“PLDs”),such as field programmable gate arrays (“FPGAs”), programmable arraylogic (“PAL”) devices, electrically programmable logic and memorydevices and standard cell-based devices, as well as application specificintegrated circuits. Some other possibilities for implementing aspectsinclude: memory devices, microcontrollers with memory (such as EEPROM),embedded microprocessors, firmware, software, etc. Furthermore, aspectsmay be embodied in microprocessors having software-based circuitemulation, discrete logic (sequential and combinatorial), customdevices, fuzzy (neural) logic, quantum devices, and hybrids of any ofthe above device types. The underlying device technologies may beprovided in a variety of component types, e.g., metal-oxidesemiconductor field-effect transistor (“MOSFET”) technologies likecomplementary metal-oxide semiconductor (“CMOS”), bipolar technologieslike emitter-coupled logic (“ECL”), polymer technologies (e.g.,silicon-conjugated polymer and metal-conjugated polymer-metalstructures), mixed analog and digital, and so on.

It should also be noted that the various logic and/or functionsdisclosed herein may be enabled using any number of combinations ofhardware, firmware, and/or as data and/or instructions embodied invarious machine-readable or computer-readable media, in terms of theirbehavioral, register transfer, logic component, and/or othercharacteristics. Computer-readable media in which such formatted dataand/or instructions may be embodied include, but are not limited to,non-volatile storage media in various forms (e.g., optical, magnetic orsemiconductor storage media) though again does not include transitorymedia. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to beconstrued in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustivesense; that is to say, in a sense of “including, but not limited to.”Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural orsingular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,”“hereunder,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import refer to thisapplication as a whole and not to any particular portions of thisapplication. When the word “or” is used in reference to a list of two ormore items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of theword: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and anycombination of the items in the list.

Although certain presently preferred implementations of the inventionhave been specifically described herein, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art to which the invention pertains that variations andmodifications of the various implementations shown and described hereinmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limitedonly to the extent required by the applicable rules of law.

While the foregoing has been with reference to a particular embodimentof the disclosure, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat changes in this embodiment may be made without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is definedby the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A tracking device comprising: a trackingmechanism configured to track a location of an object; an energygenerator electrically connected to the tracking mechanism; an energystore electrically coupled to the tracking mechanism and the energygenerator, wherein the energy store is configured to power the trackingmechanism and to receive the electrical energy generated by the energygenerator; a communication device configured to transmit the location ofthe object at a frequency and receive a request to track the object; anda controller configured to: (i) switch from a low energy usage mode to ahigh energy usage mode in response to receiving the request, wherein afrequency of transmitting the location of the object tracked by thetracking mechanism within the low energy usage mode is above zero, and(ii) further increase/decrease the frequency of transmitting thelocation of the object tracked by the tracking mechanism within the lowenergy usage mode and the high energy usage mode, based on the locationof the object tracked by the tracking mechanism or a usage of theelectrical energy.
 2. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein in the lowenergy usage mode, a net energy usage of the tracking device is lowerthan or equal to the energy generated by the energy generator over aperiod of time, and wherein the net energy usage of the tracking deviceis determined based at least in part on a frequency and/or duration ofthe communication device and/or the tracking mechanism.
 3. The trackingdevice of claim 1, wherein a frequency and/or a duration of operation ofthe communication device and/or the tracking mechanism is varied betweenthe high energy usage mode and the low energy usage mode.
 4. Thetracking device of claim 1, wherein a frequency and/or a duration of theoperation of the communication device and/or the tracking mechanism arevaried based on sensor data.
 5. The tracking device of claim 4, whereinthe sensor data includes one or more of energy generation level, outputsignals of the energy generator, energy storage voltage level, movementsensor, and the location signals from the tracking mechanism.
 6. Thetracking device of claim 4, wherein the frequency and/or duration of thecommunication device and/or the tracking mechanism are furtherconfigured to increase and/or decrease based on a movement of theobject, and wherein the movement is detected based on battery level,output signals from a Kinetic energy harvester, or location data fromthe tracking mechanism.
 7. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein theenergy generator is one or more of a kinetic motion energy generator, asolar powered generator, a thermo electric generator, or a wirelessenergy harvester.
 8. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein a frequencyand/or a duration of operation of the communication device and/or thetracking mechanism is set based on an output signal or energy generationof the energy generator, or an energy level in the energy storage. 9.The tracking device of claim 8, wherein the frequency and/or duration ofthe communication device and/or the tracking mechanism are furtherconfigured to increase and/or decrease based on the location of theobject or a movement of the object, the movement being determined basedon battery level change and/or output signals from the Kinetic energyharvester and/or location data from the tracking mechanism.
 10. Thetracking device of claim 8, wherein the frequency and/or duration of thecommunication device and/or the tracking mechanism are furtherconfigured to increase in response to receiving the request.
 11. Amethod for tracking an object, comprising: generating electrical energyusing an energy generator in a tracking device; storing the generatedelectrical energy in an energy store; receiving location signals using atracking mechanism in the tracking device, wherein the trackingmechanism is powered by the energy generator; determining a location ofthe object based on the location signals; transmitting, using acommunication device, the location of the object at a frequency;switching from a low energy usage mode to a high energy usage mode inresponse to receiving a request via the communication device to trackthe object, wherein a frequency of transmitting the location of theobject tracked by the tracking mechanism within the low energy usagemode is above zero; and increasing/decreasing the frequency oftransmitting the location of the object tracked by the trackingmechanism within the low energy usage mode and the high energy usagemode based on the location of the object tracked by the trackingmechanism or a usage of the electrical energy.
 12. The method of claim11, wherein in the low energy usage mode, a net energy usage of thetracking device is lower than or equal to the energy generated by theenergy generator over a period of time, and wherein the net energy usageof the tracking device is determined based at least in part on thefrequency and/or duration of the communication device and/or thetracking mechanism.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein a frequencyand/or a duration of operation of the communication device and/or thetracking mechanism is varied between the high energy usage mode and thelow energy usage mode.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein a switchingbetween the high energy usage mode and the low energy usage mode isbased at least in part on sensor data.
 15. The method of claim 14,wherein the sensor data includes one or more of energy generation level,output signals of the energy generator, energy storage voltage level,movement sensor, and location signals from the tracking mechanism. 16.The method of claim 13, wherein the frequency or duration of thecommunication device or tracking mechanism is increased or decreasedbased on the request for tracking the object, the location of theobject, or a movement of the object, and wherein the movement isdetected based on battery level or output signals from a Kinetic energyharvester.
 17. The method of claim 11, wherein the energy generator isone or more of a kinetic motion energy generator, a solar poweredgenerator, a thermo electric generator, or a wireless energy harvester.18. The method of claim 11, wherein a frequency and/or duration of thecommunication device and/or the tracking mechanism are configured toincrease and/or decrease based on the location of the object or amovement of the object, the movement being determined based on batterylevel change, or output signals from the Kinetic energy harvester. 19.The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting a message fromthe tracking device, to a backend system to track the object andswitching from the low energy usage mode to the high energy usage modewhen a button on the tracking device is activated.
 20. The trackingdevice of claim 1, wherein the communication device is configured tofurther transmit a message to a backend system to track the object andswitch from the low energy usage mode to the high energy usage mode whena button on the tracking device is activated.